The best public swimming pools in Chicago

Summer in Chicago gets busy fast, what with all the street fests you're attending and patio drinking you have planned. When you need to relax for an afternoon (and you don't feel like trekking to the beach) a trip to the pool can rejuvenate you. Thankfully, Chicago's parks house a variety of public pools, where you can lounge by the water or jump in—all free of charge. Some of them even have slides! Find a place to swim laps, take the kids or catch up on your summer reading with our guide to Chicago's best pools.

Best swimming pools in Chicago

A green space as grand as Washington Park deserves an exceptional summer attraction. How about a 50-meter heated pool surrounded by an enormous deck, complete with stadium seating? Connected to the main pool is a kidney-shaped side pool with a zero-depth entrance that gradually gets deeper. Plus, there's a water slide for thrillseekers.

Just like the plants in the Garfield Park Conservatory, humans need water to survive the summer. Once you're done admiring the foliage, head toward the gold-domed field house, where you'll find one of the city's most tucked-away spots for a swim.

Sometimes referred to as Palmer Water Park, this Pullman park has the most serious collection of water slides of any public pool in the city. Best of all, the slides descend into dedicated pools, so you won't have to dodge kids splashing into the water from above.

Fuller Park may look like a private estate, but its facilities are open to the public. That includes the pool, which is located next to the spacious baseball field. The park also boasts an interactive water spray pool for the kids.

Portage Park houses an Olympic-size pool so cush it played host to the 1972 Olympic swimming trials. The pool’s best feature is its 25-meter diving well, home to a diving platform so high you’ll have to reposition your swimsuit before you exit the water.

Located within walking distance of the South Western Blue Line station, head to this outdoor five-lane West Side pool to splash around as you watch vehicles driving in and out of the city on the scenic Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway.

The only thing that trumps a Slip ’N Slide for summertime fun is a real live water slide. Norwood Park's slide might not be as big or fast as a water park's, but it's free to use (and nearly as much fun).

As much as we'd love to take a dip in the Chicago River, it's probably best to stick to this public pool in River Park. Once you're done, head to nearby Lincoln Square for a rooftop bite at Gene's Sausage Shop and Delicatessen.

Located near Wicker Park and Bucktown, this 30-meter public pool is a popular destination for kids (and their guardians) during the hot summer months. The water playground next door is great for little ones who haven't graduated from swimming lessons yet.

Want to take a lunchtime dip? Union Park (home to Pitchfork and North Coast music festivals) is less than 10 minutes away from the Loop on the Green Line. Take a long lunch, swim a few laps and come back to the office smelling like chlorine.

The majority of Sherman Park is an island in the middle of the city, surrounded by a manmade river. The park's pool is on the north side of the park—and you won't have to swim across a channel to get to it.

Head down Western Boulevard from the Western Orange Line station and you'll find yourself in Gage Park, where a 48-yard, six-lane pool awaits. You could easily stop by for a quick swim on your way to or from Midway Airport.